Conventionally, a content sharing system has been known, in which a user uploads a self-made content or the like to a predetermined server, thereby to post the content. In this system, the posted content is presented to other users so that the other users can browse the content, and evaluate the content.
In the content sharing system as described above, for example, when there occurs a situation that the setting of content posting, presentation, browsing, or the like should be changed, both a client program that operates on the user terminal and a server program that operates on the server need to be changed. In addition, in many cases, the content of the change or the like is complicated, and the load on the developer side required for the setting change work is considerable.
Therefore, an object of the exemplary embodiment is to provide a game system and the like in which update (e.g., addition of functions) or the like of a program for executing data exchange between a user terminal and a server can be facilitated by using a browser program.
In order to attain the object described above, the following configurations are exemplified.
A configuration example is a game system including a game apparatus, and at least one server communicating with the game apparatus. The game apparatus includes a web page request section, a web page display section, a first information acquisition section, a first information output section, a first information input section, a content request section, and a content-based process execution section. The server includes a web page transmission section and a content transmission section. The web page request section requests the server to transmit a predetermined web page, in a web browser process according to execution of a web browser program. The web page display section, in the web browser process, displays the predetermined web page transmitted from the server. The first information acquisition section, in the web browser process, acquires first access destination information on the basis of operation data indicating an operation performed on the predetermined web page by a user. The first information output section, in the web browser process, outputs the first access destination information so as to be usable in a game process according to execution of a game program. The first information input section, in a game process according to execution of the game program, inputs the first access destination information outputted from the first information output section in the web browser process. The content request section, in the game process, requests the server to transmit a predetermined content corresponding to the first access destination information, on the basis of the first access destination information. The content-based process execution section, in the game process, executes the game process using the content transmitted from the server. In addition, the web page transmission section transmits the predetermined web page to the game apparatus in response to the request from the game apparatus. The content transmission section transmits the predetermined content to the game apparatus in response to the request from the game apparatus.
According to the above configuration example, when the content to be used in the game process is acquired from the server, the access destination information acquired in the web browser process is used. Therefore, the development load in the game program development stage can be reduced, and update and the like of the web browser process can be easily performed even after release of the game program. As a result, speedy response to user's needs is achieved, and thus the convenience for the user is improved.
In another configuration example, the game apparatus may further includes an activation section which, in the game process, activates the web browser program with an URL of the predetermined web page being specified. The web page request section may request the predetermined web page, in the web browser process according to execution of the web browser program activated by the activation section. Further, the activation section may activate the web browser program with a request for a return value from the web browser program being further specified. Still further, the first information output section may output the first access destination information as the return value. Moreover, the first information acquisition section may acquire the first access destination information included in the predetermined web page, on the basis of the operation data.
According to the above configuration example, in the game process, the convenience for the user can be improved with respect to a series of works that the user should perform to acquire the content. For example, the user need not perform complicated operations such as ending the game process and then manually activating the browser, and the user is allowed to perform an operation to acquire the content seamlessly between the game process and the browser.
In another configuration example, the game system may include a first server capable of providing the first access destination information, and a second server in which the content is stored. The web page request section may request the predetermined web page from the first server. The first access destination information may be information used to request the predetermined content from the second server. The content request section may request the predetermined content from the second server, on the basis of the first access destination information.
In addition, the content request section may include a second information generation section which generates second access destination information on the basis of the first access destination information. Further, the first access destination information may be information indicating a predetermined character string which is not a link to the second server. The second access destination information may be information indicating a download link of the content stored in the second server. The content request section may request the predetermined content from the second server, by using the second access destination information.
Further, the second server and the game apparatus may be connected to each other via a dedicated network, and only a request from the game apparatus may be allowed as a request to the second server.
According to the above configuration example, illegal acquisition or the like of content data is avoided, and thus the security relating to acquisition of contents is improved.
The first server may be connected to the second server, acquire content information relating to the content from the second server, and generate the predetermined web page on the basis of the content information.
According to the above configuration example, even when there are a large number of contents to be added and/or updated, information thereof can be promptly reflected in the web page, whereby the convenience for the user can be improved.
In another configuration example, the game apparatus may further include a browser screen shift section which activates the web browser program when the game process performed using the content by the content-based process execution section is ended and then a predetermined operation performed by the user is received, and requests the predetermined web page from the server and displays the web page, in the web browser process according to execution of the web browser program. Further, the browser screen shift section may access a web page on which information about the content relating to the ended game process is displayed, and display the web page of the information about the content.
According to the above configuration example, it is possible to present, to the user, information relating to a content that has just been played after a game process using a certain content, whereby the convenience for the user can be further improved.
In another configuration example, in the web browser process, at least a first button image and a second button image may be included in the web page displayed on the web page display section. Further, the first information acquisition section may acquire the first access destination information corresponding to the second button image when the operation data indicates an operation to select the second button image. The game system may further include a list registration section which, when the operation data indicates an operation to select the first button image, registers information indicating a content associated with the first button image, in predetermined list data stored in the server. Further, the game apparatus may further includes: a list acquisition section which acquires the predetermined list data from the server in response to an operation performed by the user; and a list content acquisition section which acquires, from the server, the content corresponding to the information stored in the list data, in response to an operation performed by the user.
Further, when a predetermined operation to access the server is received, in the web browser process activated in response to a call-up from the game process, a first URL may be specified, whereby the web page including the first button image and the second button image is acquired. On the other hand, in the web browser process activated not by a call-up from the game process, a second URL different from the first URL may be specified, whereby a web page in which the second button image is not included is acquired. In addition, the game system may include a general-purpose information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus may display a predetermined web page in which the first button image is included and the second button image is not included, in the web browser process according to execution of the web browser program. The game system may register, in the predetermined list data, information indicating the content associated with the first button image, when the operation performed on the predetermined web page by the user is an operation to select the first button image.
According to the above configuration example, the user is allowed to access a site for searching for a content, through either of a general-purpose information processing terminal such as a smartphone, and a game-dedicated apparatus. In the case of the access through the general-purpose information processing terminal, the user is allowed to register only reservation for download of the content on the basis of an operation to the first button image, for example. On the other hand, in the case of the access through the game-dedicated apparatus, since the second button image is displayed, the user is allowed to immediately download and play the content.
In another configuration example, the content may be data for constructing a virtual game space in a game process in which player objects are controlled, and may be data created and posted by a user. In addition, the content may be data to be temporarily used for a process using the content in the game process.
According to the above configuration example, regarding data used in the game process and having high frequency of update, the user is allowed to easily add or update a function relating to search or acquisition of such data, after release of the game.
Another configuration example is a game apparatus capable of communicating with a predetermined server. The game apparatus includes a browser activation section, a first information generation section, a first information output section, a browser activation section, and a first-information-based processing section. The browser activation section, as a part of a function of a predetermined game process, calls up a web browser program operating on the game apparatus from the game process. The first information generation section generates first information on the basis of communication with the predetermined server, in a web browser process according to execution of the web browser program. The first information output section, in the web browser process, outputs the first information to the game process from which the web browser program has been called up. The first-information-based processing section, as a part of the function of the game process, executes a process using the first information.
According to the above configuration example, since the web browser program is used as a part of the game process executed by the game program, the user is allowed to easily add or update a function to be realized by the web browser program, after release of the game.
Another configuration example is a game system including at least a predetermined server, and a game apparatus capable of communicating with the predetermined server. The game system includes a web browser process execution section, and a native application execution section. The web browser process execution section realizes a search function for searching for a content to be used in a predetermined game process, by communicating with the predetermined server. The native application execution section executes the predetermined game process, activates the web browser program in the game process, and acquires a result of the search for the content in a process relating to execution of the activated web browser program.
According to the above configuration example, the function to search for a content to be used in the game process can be realized by a so-called web application, whereby addition, expansion, or update of the search function can be easily performed as compared to the case where the game program itself is updated.
Another configuration example is a game system including a first-type information processing apparatus, a second-type information processing apparatus, a first server, and a second server. The first server includes a search site data storage section and a web page transmission section. The search site data storage section stores therein data that provides a search site for searching for a content to be used in a predetermined game process. The web page transmission section transmits a web page relating to the search site, in response to a request from the first-type information processing apparatus or the second-type information processing apparatus. When the first server is accessed from the first-type information processing apparatus, the web page transmission section generates a web page including link information for downloading the content from the second server, and transmits the web page to the first-type information processing apparatus. When the first server is accessed from the second-type information processing apparatus, the web page transmission section generates web page data which does not include the link information, and transmits the web page to the second-type information processing apparatus. Further, the first-type information processing apparatus includes: a content download section which accesses the second server on the basis of the link information, in response to an operation performed by a user, and downloads the content into the first-type information processing apparatus; and a content-based processing section which executes a game process using the downloaded content. The second-type information processing apparatus includes a web page display section which displays the web page transmitted from the web page transmission section. The second-type information processing apparatus may be an information processing apparatus incapable of executing the game process using the content.
According to the above configuration example, the user is allowed to access the search site through either of the game-dedicated apparatus and the general-purpose information processing apparatus such as a smartphone, and to execute content search. In addition, the search function is operated on the web browser, and therefore can be easily expanded. Further, when the user accesses the search site from the game-dedicated apparatus, the user, after execution of search, is allowed to instantly download the content based on the search result and execute game play using the content. Thus, the convenience for the user can be improved.
According to the present embodiment, the access destination information to the server, for acquiring predetermined content data, can be acquired in the web browser process and outputted to the game process side. Thus, when the function relating to the process to acquire the access destination needs to be expanded, the expansion can be easily realized as compared to the case where the game program itself is updated. In addition, the load in the game program development stage can be reduced.